Thanks to many music places I follow, I discovered her debut album Sawayama, which I was pretty obsessed with. Imagine taking the shredding guitars of rock and mixing it with Spice Girls dancey pop. Rina is truly unafraid to blend the unthinkable together. It made me heavily interested in her sophomore effort. The album cover gives Bjork levels of strange, but the singles sadly were not my friend. I hope for a better finished album.
The album begins with the intro "Minor Feelings", and really describes how things and repressed emotions build up.
It transitions perfectly into "Hold the Girl", about reconnecting with the child self we often lose track of. Especially as we get older or experience traumas. Healing often comes with reconnecting with our true selves and tending to that broken child.
"This Hell" is an anthem for the LGBT+ community who have been told that they are going to hell their whole lives for who they love. This theme appears in other parts of the album. I personally think this song missed the mark. Especially with later tracks. It does have a catchiness to it nevertheless.
"Catch Me in the Air" is probably my least favorite track. The chorus just drives me up the wall. I appreciate the sentiment of making amends with her own mother.
I feel "Forgiveness" is a little uninteresting and forgotten in the whole of the album. The lyrical sentiments are good though.
"Holy (Til You Let Me Go)" starts a shift in the album to a sort of justified anger about being unjustly considered evil for being who they are.
"Your Age" carries on the anger, suggesting that the words used against her were wrong and they should have thought twice.
"Imagining" shifts into falling back into the pain of revisiting the anger. The raw emotions can really bring you down.
"Frankenstein" begs to finally be accepted and loved by the world. Carrying the agitated energy, she seeks the things denied to her all those years.
"Hurricanes" is a little subpar and forgettable compared to the run of tracks we just had. It takes us back to the sonic sound of the early part of the album.
"Send My Love to John" is the song I felt captured this theme better than This Hell. A beautiful ballad about growth and acceptance.
"Phantom" returns us to a Hold the Girl themed track with a more rock sound. Also enjoyed this one.
The albums closes with "To Be Alive", a good closer in concept but I didn't like the chorus choice.
LYRICS: 8/10 - The themes and lyrical concepts of the album really drew me in. Healing the broken spirit, and the ups and downs of this healing.
MUSIC: 7/10 - I do not think this was as musically strong as Sawayama, but it is by no means bad. I wish a few tracks had different choices.
OVERALL: 7/10 - Definitely check her out if you have not already. She is rather unique still compared to most of current pop.
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